San Jose, September 25 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Costa Rica is estimated to be reaching “pandemic” levels of violence by the end of the year, as up to 533 murders are expected by December, said the country’s Public Ministry and Judicial Police on Wednesday.        

To this date, authorities estimated almost 400 homicides since January, out of which 45 percent would be related to drug-trafficking or organized crime.        

Although compared to its Central American neighbors (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras) – among the most violent countries of the world, Costa Rica's rate still shows a significant peak of violence from the past – representing about 30 percent more than 2012 and 2013.    

According to experts, the factors causing an increase of violence would be two-fold: on one hand, the international criminal dynamic making Mexican cartels using more the Costa Rican routes – as a better alternative than the militarized maritime roads to ship cocaine to the United States; on the other hand, local gangs have also increased in power, both in terms of weapons (state officials warned Mexican cartels were handing them AK-47s) and maybe even work force. 
    
Possibly due to the record levels of unemployment in the country – about 10 percent since 2013, more and more people seem to be tempted to join local gangs, as suggested recently Luis Avila, sub-director of the judicial investigation bureau (OIJ), who warned citizens on Tuesday that drug business was the worst path to be taken in this life, leading either to prison or to death.    

For the moment, the government would refuse a militarized approach to the issue – Costa Rica is among the few countries of the world without armed forces, preferring to focus on prevention and drug education, while improving the judicial system.